Explaining that the words “We have apportioned” mean that He (God) bestows on one the lust and (physical) strength of asses and on another the intelligence and (spiritual) strength of the prophets and the angels. “To turn the head away from sensual desire is (a mark of) nobility; to abandon sensual desire is (a mark of) the (spiritual) strength that belongs to prophethood.” “The seeds that are not sown in lust—their fruit only appears at the Resurrection.”

گر بدش سستی نری خران ** بود او را مردی پیغامبران 4025

If he (the Caliph) was deficient in the masculinity of asses, (yet) he possessed the manliness of the prophets.

ترک خشم و شهوت و حرص‌آوری ** هست مردی و رگ پیغامبری

It is (true) manliness and the nature of prophethood to abandon anger and lust and greed.

نری خر گو مباش اندر رگش ** حق همی خواند الغ بگلربگش

Let the masculinity of the ass be lacking in his nature, (what of that?): God calls him the great Beylerbey.

مرده‌ای باشم به من حق بنگرد ** به از آن زنده که باشد دور و رد

(If) I be a dead man and (if) God look on me (with favour), (my case is) better than (that of) the living man who is far (from God) and rejected (by Him).

مغز مردی این شناس و پوست آن ** آن برد دوزخ برد این در جنان

Recognise this (abandonment of sensuality) to be the kernel of manliness, and that (indulgence in sensuality) to be the husk: the latter leads to Hell, the former to Paradise.

حفت الجنه مکاره را رسید ** حفت النار از هوا آمد پدید 4030

(The Tradition) “Paradise is encompassed with things disliked” has come (down to us); “Hell-fire is encompassed with sensual desire” has been declared.

ای ایاز شیر نر دیوکش ** مردی خر کم فزون مردی هش

“O Ayáz, fierce demon-killing lion, (thou in whom) the manliness of the ass is inferior (subjugated), the manliness of Reason superior (predominant),

آنچ چندین صدر ادراکش نکرد ** لعب کودک بود پیشت اینت مرد

That which so many eminent persons did not apprehend was to thee child's play: lo, here is the (true) man!

ای به دیده لذت امر مرا ** جان سپرده بهر امرم در وفا

O thou who hast felt the delight of (obeying) my command and hast loyally devoted thy life for the sake of my command,

داستان ذوق امر و چاشنیش ** بشنو اکنون در بیان معنویش

Now hearken to the tale of the savour and relish of (obeying) the (Divine) command (as related) in the (following) spiritual exposition thereof.”

How the King (Mahmud), in the midst of (the company present in) the Diwán and assembly-place, put a pearl in the hand of the Vizier and asked him what it was worth; and how the Vizier gave an extremely high estimate of its value; and when the King commanded hi to break it, answered, “How should I break it?” and so forth.

شاه روزی جانب دیوان شتافت ** جمله ارکان را در آن دیوان بیافت 4035

One day the King hastened to the Diwán: in the Diwán he found all the courtiers (assembled).

گوهری بیرون کشید او مستنیر ** پس نهادش زود در کف وزیر

He produced a radiant pearl and immediately put it in the palm of the Vizier.

گفت چونست و چه ارزد این گهر ** گفت به ارزد ز صد خروار زر

“How about this pearl?” he asked, “and what is it worth?” He replied, “ is worth more than a hundred ass-loads of gold.”

گفت بشکن گفت چونش بشکنم ** نیک‌خواه مخزن و مالت منم

He said, “Break it!” “How should I break it?” he replied: “I am a well-wisher to thy treasury and riches.

چون روا دارم که مثل این گهر ** که نیاید در بها گردد هدر

How should I deem it allowable that a priceless pearl like this should go to waste?”

گفت شاباش و بدادش خلعتی ** گوهر از وی بستد آن شاه و فتی 4040

“Well said!” exclaimed the King and presented him with a dress of honour; the generous King took the pearl from him,

کرد ایثار وزیر آن شاه جود ** هر لباس و حله کو پوشیده بود

(But) the munificent monarch bestowed on the Vizier every garment and robe that he wore.

ساعتیشان کرد مشغول سخن ** از قضیه تازه و راز کهن

For a while he engaged them (the courtiers) in conversation concerning new event and old mystery.

بعد از آن دادش به دست حاجبی ** که چه ارزد این به پیش طالبی

Afterwards he put it (the pearl) into the hand of a chamber lain, saying, “What is it worth to a would-be purchaser?

گفت ارزد این به نیمه‌ی مملکت ** کش نگهدارا خدا از مهلکت

He replied, “It is worth half a kingdom: may God preserve it from destruction!”

گفت بشکن گفت ای خورشیدتیغ ** بس دریغست این شکستن را دریغ 4045

“Break it,” said he. “O thou whose sword is like the sun he replied, “alas, ‘tis a great pity to break it.

قیمتش بگذار بین تاب و لمع ** که شدست این نور روز او را تبع

Let alone its value, mark its splendour and brilliancies: this (shining) daylight has become second to it.

دست کی جنبد مرا در کسر او ** که خزینه‌ی شاه را باشم عدو

How should my hand make a movement to break it? How should I be an enemy to the King’s treasure-house?”

شاه خلعت داد ادرارش فزود ** پس دهان در مدح عقل او گشود

The King gave him a robe of honour and increased his stipend, and then opened his mouth in praise of his (the chamberlain’s) intelligence;

بعد یک ساعت به دست میر داد ** در را آن امتحان کن باز داد

After a short time he who was making the trial again handed the pearl to the Minister of Justice (Mir-i dád).

او همین گفت و همه میران همین ** هر یکی را خلعتی داد او ثمین 4050

He said the same, and all the (other) Amírs said the same: he (the King) bestowed a costly robe of honour on every one (of them). .

جامگیهاشان همی‌افزود شاه ** آن خسیسان را ببرد از ره به جاه

The King was raising their salaries, (but in truth) he brought those base wretches from the Way (of salvation) to the pit (of perdition).

این چنین گفتند پنجه شصت امیر ** جمله یک یک هم به تقلید وزیر

All the fifty or sixty Amírs, one by one, spoke like this in imitation of the Vizier.

گرچه تقلدست استون جهان ** هست رسوا هر مقلد ز امتحان

Though imitation is the pillar of the (present) world, (yet) every imitator is disgraced on being put to the trial.

How the pearl, (passing) from hand to hand, came round at last to Ayáz; and (concerning) the sagacity of Ayáz, and how he did not act in conformity with them and was not beguiled by the King’s giving them goods and riches and increasing their robes of honour and salaries and praising the intelligence of those erring men; for one ought not to regard the imitator as a Moslem: he may be a Moslem, but it rarely happens that he holds fast to his faith and comes off safely from the trials (to which he is exposed)—for he lacks the steadfastness of the clairvoyant——except (in the case of) those whom God preserves; because the Truth is one, and its contrary is very deceptive and like unto it (in appearance). Since the imitator does not know the contrary (so as to distinguish it from the Truth), on that account he cannot have known the Truth; but when, notwithstanding his ignorance, God preserves him by favour, that ignorance does him no harm.

ای ایاز اکنون نگویی کین گهر ** چند می‌ارزد بدین تاب و هنر

“Now, O Ayáz, wilt not thou say how much a pearl of this splendour and excellence is worth?”

گفت افزون زانچ تانم گفت من ** گفت اکنون زود خردش در شکن 4055

He replied, “More than I am able to say.” He (the King) said, “Now break it immediately into small fragments.”

سنگها در آستین بودش شتاب ** خرد کردش پیش او بود آن صواب

He (Ayáz)’had (two) stones in his sleeve: he quickly reduced it to dust, (for) that seemed to him the right course.

یا به خواب این دیده بود آن پر صفا ** کرده بود اندر بغل دو سنگ را

Or (perhaps) that entirely sincere man had dreamed of this and put the two stones under his arm,

هم‌چو یوسف که درون قعر چاه ** کشف شد پایان کارش از اله

Like Joseph to whom at the bottom of the well his ultimate fortunes was revealed by God.

هر که را فتح و ظفر پیغام داد ** پیش او یک شد مراد و بی‌مراد

To whomsoever He (God) has announced victory and triumph —to him success and unsuccess are one.

هر که پایندان وی شد وصل یار ** او چه ترسد از شکست و کارزار 4060

To whomsoever the favour of the Friend has become a surety —what fear should he have of defeat and (painful) combat

چون یقین گشتش که خواهد کرد مات ** فوت اسپ و پیل هستش ترهات

When it has become certain to him that he will checkmate (his Opponent), the loss of his horse (knight) and elephant (bishop) is a trifle to him

گر برد اسپش هر آنک اسپ‌جوست ** اسپ رو گو نه که پیش آهنگ اوست

If his horse be taken by any one who desires to take the horse, let the horse go; (for) is not he (by God’s help), the winner?

مرد را با اسپ کی خویشی بود ** عشق اسپش از پی پیشی بود

How should there be an affinity between a man and a horse? His love for the horse is (only) for the purpose of getting in front (of others).

بهر صورتها مکش چندین زحیر ** بی‌صداع صورتی معنی بگیر

Do not endure all this anguish for the sake of (mere) forms: grasp the reality without(suffering)headache on account of a form.

هست زاهد را غم پایان کار ** تا چه باشد حال او روز شمار 4065

The ascetic feels anxiety concerning his latter end: (he considers) what will be his plight on the Day of Reckoning;

عارفان ز آغاز گشته هوشمند ** از غم و احوال آخر فارغ‌اند

(But) the gnostics, having become conscious of the beginning, are free from anxiety and (care for) the ultimate conditions.

بود عارف را همین خوف و رجا ** سابقه‌دانیش خورد آن هر دو را

(Formerly) the gnostic had the same fear and hope (as the ascetic), (but) his knowledge of the past devoured both those (feelings).

دید کو سابق زراعت کرد ماش ** او همی‌داند چه خواهد بود چاش

He perceived that in the past he had sown pulse: he knows what the produce will be.

عارفست و باز رست از خوف و بیم ** های هو را کرد تیغ حق دو نیم

He is a gnostic and has been delivered from fear and dread: the sword of God has cut lamentation asunder

بود او را بیم و اومید از خدا ** خوف فانی شد عیان گشت آن رجا 4070

(Formerly) he had from God (feelings of) fear and hope: the fear has passed away and the hope has come into clear view.

چون شکست او گوهر خاص آن زمان ** زان امیران خاست صد بانگ و فغان

When he (Ayáz) broke that choice pearl, thereupon from the Amírs arose a hundred clamours and outcries—

کین چه بی‌باکیست والله کافرست ** هر که این پر نور گوهر را شکست

“What recklessness is this! By God, whoever has broken this luminous pearl is an infidel”—

وآن جماعت جمله از جهل و عما ** در شکسته در امر شاه را

And (yet) the whole company (of Amírs) in their ignorance and blindness had broken the pearl of the King’s command.